Alexandria ‘Sandi’ Thom was born in Banff. While attending Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen she spent three years performing in a band from Gourdon called The Residents.

From this she went on to study at the prestigious Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts as the youngest student to ever be accepted and later graduating with a BA in Performing Arts.

Her debut release single in 2006 was a huge top charting success. “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in my Hair), topped the UK singles chart in June of that year. It even reached the biggest selling single of 2006 in Australia where it spent ten weeks at the top of the ‘ARIA Singles Chart’.

Since then she has released five studio albums and continues to write music.

Chairman John Gregor said: “The Mart Fest is a fantastic new addition to this year’s Taste of Grampian show. With a host of entertainment including local bands and street entertainers, Sandi Thom and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers will end an unforgettable night in the Brewfest Marquee.”

Now in its 18th year, Scotland’s largest one-day food festival has secured TV celebrity chef James Martin to entertain with three live cookery demos during the day. He will also be mingling around the festival as well as signing his latest cook book from the ITV food travel series, French Adventure.

Columnist and BBC wine expert Susy Atkins is hosting two wine masterclasses as well as a local gin masterclass in the Corney and Barrow Wine Marquee.

Tickets for Taste of Grampian are £5 per person. Children under 16 go free. Tickets for the gin and wine masterclasses start from £12 per person.

Visitors with an entry ticket for Taste of Grampian will receive free entry to Mart Fest which kicks off at 5pm, otherwise it is £10 per person. Car parking is free. The Mart Fest is family-friendly until 9pm, over 18s can stay until doors close at 11pm. All tickets can be booked online now at www.tasteofgrampian.co.uk.